New option order for Manchester Metrolink brings the number of vehicles to 104

Bombardier plays key role in taking millions of journeys off Manchester’s roads each year

Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation together with consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe has signed an option to supply 10 additional BOMBARDIER FLEXITY Swift light rail vehicles (LRVs) to Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) Metrolink system. This option forms part of the contract signed with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE now referred to as TfGM) in 2007 and is valued at approximately £ 18 million GBP (22 million euro, $ 30 million US), with Bombardier’s share valued at approximately £ 14 million GBP (17 million euro, $ 23 million US).

To date Bombardier and Vossloh Kiepe have delivered 77 vehicles to Manchester. This option for 10 further vehicles brings the total number of LRVs ordered for the city from the consortium to 104.

Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, said: “The new FLEXITY M5000 vehicles are now a familiar sight across Greater Manchester, with nearly 70,000 journeys a day made on the Metrolink network. The vehicles are helping us deliver greater capacity and a much more reliable journey, with lighter, brighter and more spacious interiors giving extra room for passengers. We look forward to completely replacing our tram fleet with this model during 2014.”

Manchester’s Metrolink system demonstrates the premium quality and service provided by Bombardier in delivering excellent passenger comfort and proven state-of-the-art technology to the Greater Manchester community. The vehicles are high-floor so they are compatible with the substantial number of former railway stations on the network which have high platforms. The 28.4 m long light rail vehicles with a width of 2.65 m offer a capacity for 200 passengers. Wide double-door entrances ensure rapid passenger flow and level access to space suitable for all users including those in wheelchairs or with pushchairs.

As consortium leader, Bombardier designs and manufactures the vehicles at its sites in Bautzen, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. Bombardier’s Siegen plant in Germany is responsible for delivering the bogies. The consortium partner Vossloh Kiepe provides the electrical equipment. The first tram of the new batch will be delivered in March 2015.

Bombardier’s FLEXITY vehicles are operating successfully in cities around the globe. They were selected by TfGM because of their value for money and design flexibility. Overall, Bombardier now has more than 4,000 trams and light rail vehicles in successful revenue service or on order in cities across Europe, Australia and North America.

About Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. BOMBARDIERECO4 technologies – built on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, economy and ecology – conserve energy, protect the environment and help to improve total train performance for operators and passengers. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a very diverse customer base with products or services in more than 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, we posted revenues of $16.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.